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Original Rock Bands From The Past

Introducing The John Salamone Band

Original Rock Bands From the Past of Philadelphia

The John Salamone Band Band

The John Salamone Band was a rock band dedicated to reviving the sound of classic rock music. The band actually which broke up in 2012 following a difference of musical opinion and direction. But initially all went well and the band was happiest when they were creating their own brand of music. They were made of members who were passionate about the history and roots of rock. No other style of music since rock has had quite the same feel. Rock bands have a certain kind of energy that still goes unrivaled today. John Salamone was an integral part of the rock scene in Philadelphia up until the year 2012. So take a look back at their particular flavor of rock with us, starting with the John Salamone Band.

The JS Band looked to all the greats that have made music before them for inspiration. The Group has sadly succumbed to become another band of the past that inspires people moving forward. The sound of rock is timeless. Unlike some of today’s popular music, which is heavily dependent on the current trends and crazes whereas rock can live forever.

It was great to see that each member of the band believed that music is much more than an art form, it’s a connection to the past and through their music careers, they spent a lot of time researching musical history to make their own music rich with the sounds of the past. As they now become one of the bands of yesterday they have left a lasting legacy that we each carry with us. The group have now become part of the tradition and spirit of rock music so embark on this journey with us, as we reach to the past and look to the future.

The members of the band was made up of a group of dedicated and passionate performers who each brought there own musical variations with them but to fully understand their style and mission, take a moment to learn about each of them.

The lead guitarist of the band was Nick Vacante. Some referred to him as a spiritual guru. Taking after one of his role models, George Harrison, he has avidly studied eastern music and philosophies. He brought that unique perspective to the band, as he was an accomplished sitar player. The band got its unique transcendental element from his use of the melodic, spacey textures of David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. But he brought a whole different dynamic to the table with the explosive blues improve of Mike McCready of Pearl Jam.

Brian Beard, who the band mostly called “Beard,” was their bass player. While bass players in other bands like to hang back and only provide a background sound, Beard was so much more. He was a well-rounded musician and songwriter. When you listen to the band, you can hear his eclectic influences, giving his music so much more depth. He was the band’s out-of-the-box thinker. While the other members liked to keep to the classics, he brought an inventive and imaginative aspect that they just couldn’t do without. Through it all, he maintained a familiar groove and feel, which gelled well with the rest of the band’s styles. His favorites were Kim Deal of the Pixies and Colin Greenwood of Radiohead.

Zack Zimmer had been banging away on his drums for as long as he could remember. He was the support system of the group, providing the steady beat that they all relied on. He was great at feeding into their melodies, so they could get carried away with what they were doing, confident that he would be there providing the beat. He drummed with such precision, but also added a certain level of dynamics that made the band’s music interesting and complimented the melody and vocals well. Zimmer was different from other drummers in that the other aspects of the music were just as important as what he was doing. He was able to see himself as a part of a whole, understanding the beauty of what he didn’t play as well as what he did. His biggest influences were Nick Mason of Pink Floyd and Josh Eppard of Coheed and Cambria.

The title member of the band and the singer / songwriter / guitarist was John Salamone. Salamone came from a family of music enthusiasts. Growing up, he was surrounded by rhythms and melodies, making it a huge facet of his personality. Since the age of seven, Salamone had been singing and expressing himself through music. He showed a lot of gratitude to his father, John Salamone Sr., who exposed him to just about every style of music growing up. That’s how he got to be so well rounded and easily adaptable. It was where his passion began. He also, by chance, inherited his “golden pipes” from his dad. Salamone’s passion was singing and songwriting. He was prolific in his style, not adhering to any single genre. He wrote hundreds of songs across genres and styles. His major influences, aside from his own father, were John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Thom Yorke, Beck, Daniel Johns, and Eddie Vedder.
He’s quoted as saying, “Our band is lost in a broad spectrum of rock… we don’t try to write a certain way or in a certain style. I certainly don’t try to sing like anyone else, but we are the product of the music that we love and listen to. I have a hard time describing the sound, because I think that the listener has different references that they’ll compare it to… We all listen to different stuff, but who doesn’t love a good song? The sound of our band is good songs. Have you ever heard the White Album before? There’s not one style of music on there or even one sound… yet it all sounds like The Beatles.”

The sound, style, and passion of John Salamone Band was perfectly summed up by that quote. As we interact with the music, both as musicians and listeners, we’re each coming from a different perspective – a different set of music we listen to, a different belief system, a different cultural background, but we all take something away from it. It may mean something different to each individual person, but we all bond over a good song.